PIB Headquarters
Chennai Customs at work 247 during Covid-19
Chennai Customs zone is working 24X7 to facilitate the EXIM consignments in the current situation of Covid-19 lock down. Chennai Customs Sea Port, Airport, Air Cargo, Courier Terminal Foreign Postaloffice and UB are working 247.All customs offices are working withlesserstaff and ensuring that all clearances are made on priority.
- Chennai International Airport:
All the international flights were shut down by Indian Government from 22.03.2020 due to scare of Covid-19. However, facilitation for evacuation / relief flights for foreign citizens to their home country is being provided by Customs. During lock down 2.0 declared since 15.4.2020,up to 23.04.2020, totally 13flights, Malindo Air to Kuala Lumpurone flight, one SCAT relief flight to Almaty, one Gulf Air flight to Bahrain, one Lion Air Flight to Melbourne via Bali, threeflights of US Bangla Airlines to Dhaka, one British Airways flight to London via Bangalore& Bahrain, two Korea Airline flight to Seoul and one flight of Japanese Carrier ANA  to Tokyo-Narita. These flights totally carried totally1725passengersfrom Chennai Airport.
Till date, since lockdown totally 26 relief flights carrying 3918 passengers have flown to foreign destinations from Chennai.
Customs has provided smooth clearance to the passengers.
Two Air Ambulance flights to Abu Dhabi and to Frankfurt via Dubaicarrying 07passengers were alsocleared during the period.
Chennai Customs Courier Terminal: Customs is providing urgent clearance of critical equipment and components for manufacturing of PCBs for Ventilators and Defibrillator; Medical Gloves, Masks and digital forehead thermometers on daily basis. Shipments containing critical components for manufacturing medical equipment in SEZ other manufacturers are being cleared on priority basis. Till 23.4.2020, 118shipments of critical components for manufacturing of ventilators and medical masks were cleared since the beginning of lockdown. One Shipment of x-ray protective coat  Thyroid collar arrived from USA was also cleared. Major countries from where these items are being imported are China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore.
Foreign Post Office Terminal: Foreign Parcels of lifesaving medicines, Thermometers, N-95 masks and face masks arriving from different countries for individuals are being cleared on priority basis at Foreign Post Office.
- Chennai Air Cargo:
Customs Air Cargo at Air Cargo Complex,Meenambakkam is working to provide clearance of cargo flights that are arriving at the Chennai Airport. Even though passenger flights have been stopped by the government, cargo flights are still operating at the Chennai airport. Since the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, 81 international cargo flights have arrived at Chennai Airport. Several consignments related to Ventilator components, COVID test kits, Diagnostic kits, protective clothing masks and digital thermometers have been cleared by the customs officials on priority. Major countries from where these items are being imported are China, South Korea, Hong Kong, USA, Taiwan, Malaysia, Germany etc.Export cargos are also being cleared smoothly at Air Cargo Commissionerate.
A flight from Maldivian Airlines carrying vegetables and pharma products was also facilitated by Chennai Customs.
This is stated in a press release issued by the Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport.